Looe Island,
also known as St George's Island, is a small island a mile from
the mainland town of Looe in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Until
recently it was owned (and inhabited) by two sisters, Babs and
Evelyn Atkins, who have made a gift of the island to the Cornwall Wildlife Trustin perpetuity.

It is an island of outstanding natural beauty, about 22.5 acres
(91,000 m²) in area and a mile (1.6 km) in circumference. The
highest point is 47 m above sea level. With frost and snow
virtually unknown it has an exceptionally mild climate.
Daffodils bloom at Christmas and, unlike most small islands, it
is partly wooded. A natural sanctuary for sea and woodland birds
and one time haunt to smugglers, its history includes a
Benedictine chapel built in 1139 of which only a few stones
remain visible. Legend has it that Joseph of Arimathea landed
here with the child Christ.

Evelyn Atkins wrote two books — We Bought An Island (1976) and
its sequel Tales From Our Cornish Island (1986) — about the
purchase of the island and what it is like to live there. She
died in 1997 at the age of 87 but her sister Babs continued to
live on the island until her death in 2004, at the age of 86,
leaving the island to theCornwall Wildlife Trustwhich will
preserve it as a nature reserve.

The island is normally accessible only by boat, but at low
spring tides it is possible for the journey to be made by foot
across the rocky sea floor. The island is open to day visitors
from approximately Easter to around the end of September and the
tipi is actually available for short breaks - all the details
are on the
Cornwall Wildlife Trust website.. This is a
non-profit making venture, the landing fees and other income
being devoted to conserving the island's natural beauty and to
providing facilities for visitors without commercialising it in
any way. Jetty cottage has a license for weddings and couples
may stay the night in a teepee on the island after their wedding
service.